Being nosey about fellow AW playwrights

I've spent the last year plus trying to get over an emotional block that keeps me from finishing a project.

Unfortunately, I'm one of those writers who feel that every word the write is absolutely perfect and when a reader offers a criticism or suggestion to improve the play, my feelings get hurt and I give up on it. When I force myself to make changes, I don't like the result and throw the play away because it seems to me that it no longer says what I wanted to say.

On a conscious level I know that I am wrong - all plays need revision - but on another level, I can't do it.

About 14 months ago I finished my first full length play (after working up to it slowly) which got mediocre reviews at two readings. It needed work. I know that. But I couldn't bring myself to do it. When I tried, nothing came out or what I wrote is way off what was needed.

Until about five weeks ago I hadn't written anything since I wrote the full length play. Then I woke up one morning with a very short one person play in my mind and transcribed it. I showed it to a couple of friends who made some very reasonable suggestions on the play (at least on the conscious level). As usual, I made the changes and felt that I had ruined the play.

I had the play with me when I went to our local playwrights group. I didn't intend to share it because I thought that I had ruined it. There were about a dozen people there - mostly writers but a few actors . At the last minute, I gave it to an actress who was there to read. When she had finished there was dead silence. No one said anything. It dragged on and on. Finally, unable to stand the silence, I asked "Isn't anyone going to say anything?" Then the log jam broke and everyone had good things to say about it. The consensus was that it was one of the best things I've ever written.

I realized that even though I wasn't happy with the rewrites, they improved the play. I think I finally understand why I need to rewrite my plays to address the concerns of the readers. I dragged out the year old full length play and started making the changes that people said were needed. I made some progress then I got away from the rewrite. I hope that I will get back and finish it.

There - that's what I've been doing.

Doug

Well, I'm working on an idea for a farce set ca. 1910-1915. All I've put on "paper" (hard disk) so far is half an outline and half scene of dialogue. The rest is still percolating in my head.

I feel like I need to do more research about the period and read more farces for types of comic bits to adapt to my twist on the premise, as well as figuring out the characters' motivations better.

It seems like the sort of project where it would make more sense to set out the plot from the beginning and then develop the personalities to fit the plot, whereas I've usually worked more the other way around in the past. On the other hand I'm not really sure yet how I want to untie the plot knots at the end -- an unplanned pregnancy would be just too convenient for getting things to end up the way I'd like; I'd rather not rely on that as a kind of deus ex machina resolution.

Also do I want to write it to be rated R or PG in movie terms?

Written three full lengths and a couple of ten minute pieces this year, had a run of two plays in Feb, also a staged reading in NY, just had a run of a short play down in Florida, got word on another for a full run next year - waiting on contract, hit pause on two other plays I'm writing and am busy writing a book version of one of my film scripts, to go to a UK publisher that my agent figures will be interested in it.
apart from that, not much

I finished my play and started trying to shop it around. It seems so much harder than the novel thing because for novels there is a more formal process: query agent, get agent, agent queries publisher, publisher gives me a million dollars. I have not found any such process for plays. So, I'm not sure if I should be going for publication (if so, how and where), or production (again, no centralized place to identify those theaters wanting submissions).
I guess I'm saying that now I'm finished with it, I don't know what to do with it.
And, frankly, having been more of a novel writer I am still unsure whether it's good enough that I should try to do something with it!

MarkEsq said:

So, I'm not sure if I should be going for publication (if so, how and where), or production (again, no centralized place to identify those theaters wanting submissions).
I guess I'm saying that now I'm finished with it, I don't know what to do with it.

Click to expand...

Definitely pursue productions. That's the point. Publication can come afterward.

I'm sorry, I don't have a centralized source to identify theaters wanting submissions, although I have a feeling that at least one does exist.

Where are you located?

For major U.S. regional theatres, see www.lort.org.

Looks like most of these theatres want either scripts submitted through an agent or else a query letter and sample pages and/or synopsis. Check the specifics for the ones you're interested in.

Look for playwriting contests and enter your script in the ones it's appropriate for.

Find smaller semi-professional theatre companies near you, find out whether they have specific policies for script submission, and comply appropriately.

Check with theatre departments at nearby colleges/universities, or for an actor's or writer's center in a major city, for opportunities to get rehearsed staged readings of your work, if not full productions.

Chances are you won't make any money from the first production. But having had one, especially one that gets newspaper reviews, will make it that much easier to get other companies to consider your script.

I've been working on adapting a well-known novel into a full-length play. I got into quite a good routine with it, but now I've put it on hold because I need to concentrate on a 10-minute play competition I want to enter.

It's quite a prestigious competition, run every year and the winning plays are then workshopped and performed over several days and nights as part of a festival. I entered two years ago and got shortlisted, but didn't make it any further. Hopefully this year, I'll do a little better!

The competition closes in October, so I've really got to get stuck into it now.

Currently doing...three plays, the end of a large D&D project, and possibly more plays...I've got ideas for a couple more...

I think an update thread is a great idea. We could have monthly, weekly or whenever the mood strikes you check-ins. It will be great to see what everyone is up to, and a great motivator for us all.

And Carina, my adaption.....well, without saying too much, it's a novel that was written quite a few years ago by a very famous female author whose initials are JA. That's all I'm sayin'!

I am a newbie to AW, but I plan on becoming a regular.

It sounds like everyone has projects in the works and are being much more productive than I am. I'm jealous.

My current project is a play about Sitting Bull to be performed on the reservation where he was murdered. It is a very complex project due to getting translations done (with a specific keyboard and Dakota/Lakota has symbols not found in a regular word processing program.), chosing songs and lining up interviews with family members. Not to mention the fact that I am a full time teacher and school just began.

Lastly, I just want to apologize if I stepped on any toes by posting here. I'm new and have yet to establish connections to others here. If I upset anyone, be accept my apologies.

Absolutely no need to apologise, combradebunny. You are perfectly entitled to post here or anywhere else. Sounds like a fascinating project you're working on. Good luck!